Conerning the attacks atheists use onTheism

Some might think that atheists would be content with simply not believing in God and leave the theists to themselves. After all, if God doesn’t exist, then what’s the big deal? Why not let the theists believe in God the way a child believes in the tooth fairy? To the atheist, neither exists. So why bother?

Even though many atheists don’t care if people believe in God or not, others feel obligated to fight what I have often heard them label as “oppressive religious bigotry.” To this end, many of them are active in politics, social groups, the internet, and even use lawsuits to change society into a more atheistic temperament. They often consider Christians as a threat to freedom, common sense, and a good life. Consider this quote I found on an atheist website at atheists.org:

“We are constantly being overrun by people trying to get their ticket to Heaven at our expense, and if we don’t stand up and be counted we will lose the very freedom we hold most dear; freedom of thought . . . “

This kind of statement is quite common in atheist circles. It is inflammatory, illogical, and paranoid. Many atheists I’ve spoken to tell me that I cannot think logically and am deluded and that I believe in myths. They tell me that I am bound by foolish antiquated beliefs and that I need to abandon my religious bigotry and become a “free thinker” like them. In other words, they don’t want me to think the way I do.

Additionally, after reading much atheist material and debating with them over the internet, I’ve discovered they often use mockery of God, religious leaders, and the Bible as weapons to further their agenda. This isn’t the case with all atheists as I have had very good conversations with some of them, but ridiculing attitudes are surprisingly prevalent and strong. Character assassination, half-truths, and out-of-context Bible quotes are typical tools used by many of them in attempts to make Christianity look bad.

Now, I am not trying to dismantle the atheist position with a generic character attack aimed at them. I am only making an observation. In the majority of my dealings with atheists, I have encountered great arrogance, rudeness, and condescension. Atheists have told me that religion is only a giant con-game designed to get peoples’ money and that clergymen are in business for themselves and that I was mentally ill for believing in God. Following are some of their comments:

“I do not want to be bound to archaic mythologies.This is the 21st century.”

“Christianity is an oppressive system used to control and manipulate people.”

“Logic demands that religion be proven wrong.”

“Christians should all be in mental wards.”

“We are free thinkers and not bound by outdated and oppressive myths.”

“Christians are sycophantic sheep.”

Atheists often imply that reason is best used by them and not by Christians who, as many say, need psychological help for believing in God. This condescending attitude is a fountain for derogatory comments. I have been called stupid, absurd, illogical, and a slave to my religion. I get the impression from atheists that they are so convinced they have the truth that no other options are available to them and that if you don’t agree with them that you’re not smart. Of course, they will deny this and say I am being ridiculous, but this is what I have observed–right or wrong.

Consider some of the terms atheists use to describe themselves: “Free thinkers,” “Free from religion,” “Rational,” etc. They use these self-descriptive terms in juxtaposition to statements of Christians as religious bigots, losers, and brainwashers. On the atheist.org website I read,

“Critical thinking, objectivity, scientific methodology, and peer review are all hallmarks of Atheism. Submission, fear, credulity, and insupportable claims are the hallmarks of religious belief.”

When I read statements like this, I cannot help wondering which religion to which they are referring. It can’t be Christianity because the Bible teaches us to love God and love our fellow man. It teaches that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and that truthfulness is a way of life and that eyewitness accounts of the miraculous is one of the evidences for its validity. Of course, the atheist would argue with all of this because he must in spite of the facts. But still, if an atheist wants to attack religion in general and Christianity specifically, he should, at least, do so objectively. But this doesn’t seem to be the hallmark of the atheistic movement–at least not from what I’ve seen so far.

“As long as religious purposes are served, ethics, inquiry and reason are abandoned.”

Are these the statements of tolerance, impartiality, truth, and sound judgment? Not at all. It seems to me that if the atheists who authored the above quotes were in power with their views of religion being cruel, evil, and unreasonable, would they then either imprison the “offenders” or legislate complete and total annihilation of all things religious? Who would then be full of hatred, malice, and bigotry? It is something to ponder. Does atheism really teach freedom? No. It teaches bondage for its adherents and for those who disagree with it.

It is interesting that in your attacks on atheists and atheism you completely disregard that Christianity was built largely upon a foundation of spilled blood, from the fantasy genocides contained in the Old Testament to the very real genocides carried out in the name of your god by one or another sect.
And we can go right back t Constantine and Theodosius if you like?
But I doubt you care to read that much history.

From the pogroms that saw the near annihilation of the Cathars in France to the systematic slaughter of Catholics by Protestants and vice versa.
We can include the Inquisitions, the Crusades and numerous other atrocities, including witch burning carried out by those that fled such persecution to the US only to introduce such vile atrocities once they arrived, not least the attempted extermination of Native Americans.
Then there is racism, slavery, misogyny ad nauseum, all in the name of your god and all justified by one group or another using the bible.

Today we have concerted attacks on homosexuals and planned parenthood.
On the education front we have Creationists attempting to undermine science almost at every turn and idiots such as the Ken Ham and his ilk corrupting children and adults alike with their spurious nonsense..

So exactly where is this ”atheist arrogance” you go on about?

Maybe you should try to extract that whopping great log from your own eye first?
It appears to have made you blind as a bat.

Your litany of abuses does not do anything to bolster the atheist position. You are correct that there are people who do not govern their religious fervor with reason. That does not disprove God’s existence. But, you are not honest in your complaining of “concerted attacks on planned parenthood.” Many Christians and for that matter non-Christians, too, oppose what Planned Parenthood does behind its walls. It rips babies’ bodies apart inside their mothers’ wombs. You want to take the “scientific mantle” here? Embryology tells us that human life begins at conception. Thus Christians and others who oppose abortion are opposing a modern form of genocide. Please do not take the moral high ground in your comments.

Are you denying the litany of abuses, Larry?
And where did I say I was in favour of abortion, Larry?
The planned parenthood clinics and their equivalent in civilised countries across the globe do an awful lot more than just perform abortions.
Or were you unaware of this?

You say: “… the Bible teaches us to love God and love our fellow man. It teaches that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and that truthfulness is a way of life and that eyewitness accounts of the miraculous is one of the evidences for its validity.”

And you say this to counter the claim that: “Submission, fear, credulity, and insupportable claims are the hallmarks of religious belief.”

In your attempt to counter that quote, you supported it perfectly. Submission, fear, credulity…

This too has been my general feeling debating with atheists. I would also add they tend to be very literal when interpreting the bible, even when interpreting parables, unwilling to make positive inferences or give God the benefit of the doubt. But I guess it’s to be expected, we Christians do the exact opposite. I think it’s also worth noting the atheists we’re likely to deal with are former Christians or at least grew up in a Christian household. These feelings of arrogance by logic superiority might be the natural result of forsaking Christianity that was stemmed in formative brain maturing years. Most atheists probably have enormous constellations of neurons and brain regions left over from earlier Christian days and they must fight against what survives of it or replace it by a sort of Anti-Christian dogma. The atheist consciousness must feel superior to it or it’ll die, and it’ll do it by any means, even by picking on us poor dumb Christians.

Jason;
I believe you are correct in your analogy of atheists and, even their rearing in Christian homes, schools or residences.

I find it interesting that atheist fight so hard against something they themselves don’t believe in. Tomorrow there is a post coming out which will drive this point home. I hope you will take the time to read it.

I wish to thank you for your time and placing your comments. Both are greatly appreciated.